Fell Arcite like an angry tiger far'd,
And like a lion Palamon appear'd:
Or as two boars whom love to battle draws,
With rifing briftles, and with frothy jaws,
Their adverfe breafts with tufks oblique they wound;
With grunts and groans the foreft rings around.
So fought the knights, and fighting must abide,
Till fate an umpire fends their difference to decide.
The power that minifters to God's decrees,
And executes on earth what heaven forefees,
Call'd providence, or chance, or fatal sway,
Comes with refiftlefs force, and finds or makes her way.
Nor kings, nor nations, nor united power,
One moment can retard th' appointed hour.
And fome one day, fome wondrous chance appears,
Which happen'd not in centuries of years:
For fure, whate'er we mortals hate, or love,
Or hope, or fear, depends on powers above;
They move our appetites to good or ill,
And by forefight neceffitate the will.
In Thefeus this appears; whose youthful joy
Was beafts of chace in forefts to destroy,
This gentle knight, inspir'd by jolly May,
Forfook his cafy couch at early day,
And to the wood and wilds pursued his way.
Befide him rode Hippolita the queen,
And Emily attir'd in lively green,
With horns, and hounds, and all the tuneful cry,
To hunt a royal hart within the covert nigh:
And as he follow'd Mars before, fo now
He ferves the goddess of the filver bow.
The way that Thefeus took was to the wood
Where the two knights in cruel battle stood :
The lawn on which they fought, th' appointed place
In which th' uncoupled hounds began the chace.
Thither forth-right he rode to roufe the prey,
That fhaded by the fern in harbour lay;
And, thence diflodg'd, was wont to leave the wood,
For open fields, and cross the crystal flood.
Approach'd, and looking underneath the fun,
He faw proud Arcite, and fierce Palamon,
In mortal battle doubling blow on blow,
Like lightning flam'd their faulchions to and fro,
And shot a dreadful gleam; fo ftrong they ftrook,
There feem'd lefs force requir'd to fell an oak
He gaz'd with wonder on their equal might,
Look'd eager on, but knew not either knight:
Refolv'd to learn, he fpurr'd his fiery fteed
With goring rowels to provoke his speed.
The minute ended that began the race,
So foon he was betwixt them on the place;
And with his fword unfheath'd, on pain of life
Commands both combatants to cease their ftrife:
Then with imperious tone purfues his threat;
What are you? why in arms together met?
How dares your pride prefume against my laws,
As in a listed field to fight your cause ?
Unaik'd the royal grant; no marshal by,
As knightly rites require; nor judge to try?
Then Palamon, with fcarce recover'd breath,
Thus hafty fpoke: We both deferve the death,
And both would die; for look the world around,
A pair fo wretched is not to be found,
Our life's a load; encumber'd with the charge,
We long to fet th' imprifon'd foul at large.
Now as thou art a sovereign judge, decree
The rightful doom of death to him and me,
Let neither find thy grace; for grace is cruelty.
Me firft, O kill me firft; and cure my woe;
Then fheath the fword of juftice on my foe :
Or kill him first; for when his name is heard,
He foremost will receive his due reward.
Arcite of Thebes is he; thy mortal foe:
On whom thy grace did liberty bestow;
But first contracted, that if ever found
By day or night upon th' Athenian ground,
His head should pay the forfeit; fee return'd
The perjur'd knight, his oath and honour scorn'd.
For this is he, who, with a borrow'd name
And proffer'd fervice, to thy palace came,
Now call'd Philoftratus: retain'd by thee,
A traitor trusted, and in high degree,
Afpiring to the bed of beauteous Emily.
My part remains; from Thebes
And call myself th' unhappy Palamon.
Think me not like that man; fince no disgrace
Can force me to renounce the honour of my race.
Know me for what I am : I broke my chain,
Nor promis'd I thy prisoner to remain :
The love of liberty with life is given,
And life itself th' inferior gift of Heaven.
Thus without crime I fled; but farther know,
I with this Arcite am thy mortal foe :
Then give me death, fince I thy life purfue;
For fafeguard of thyself, death is my due.
More wouldst thou know? I love bright Emily,
And for her fake and in her fight will die:
But kill my rival too; for he no lefs
Deferves; and I thy righteous doom will bless,
Affur'd that what I lofe, he never shall poffefs.
To this reply'd the stern Athenian prince,
And fourly fmil'd, In owning your offence,
You judge yourself; and I but keep record
In place of law, while you pronounce the word.
Take your defert, the death you have decreed;
I feal your doom, and ratify the deed:
By Mars, the patron of my arms, you die.
He faid; dumb forrow feiz'd the ftanders-by.
The queen above the reft, by nature good,
(The pattern form'd of perfect womanhood)
For tender pity wept: when she began,
Through the bright quire th' infectious virtue ran."
All dropt their tears, ev'n the contended maid:
And thus among themfelves they foftly faid:
What eyes can fuffer this unworthy fight!
Two youths of royal blood, renown'd in fight,
The maftership of heaven in face and mind,
And lovers, far beyond their faithlefs kind:
See their wide streaming wounds; they neither came
For pride of empire, nor defire of fame :
Kings fight for kingdoms, madmen for applaufe:
But love for love alone; that crowns the lover's caufe.
This thought, which ever bribes the beauteous kind,
Such pity wrought in every lady's mind,
They left their steeds, and proftrate on the place,
From the fierce king, implor'd th' offenders grace.
He paus'd a while, ftood filent in his mood
(For yet his rage was boiling in his blood);
But soon his tender mind th' impreffion felt,
(As fofteft metals are not flow to melt
And pity fooneft runs in fofteft minds):
Then reafons with himself; and firft he finds
His paffion caft a mist before his sense,
And either made, or magnify'd th' offence.
Offence of what? to whom? who judg'd the caufe?
The prifoner freed himself by nature's laws :
Born free, he fought his right: the man he freed
Was perjur'd, but his love excus'd the deed:
Thus pondering, he look'd under with his eyes,
And faw the women's tears, and heard their cries;
Which mov'd compaffion more, he fhook his head,
And foftly fighing to himself he faid:
Curfe on th' unpardoning prince, whom tears
draw
To no remorse; who rules by lions law;
And deaf to prayers, by no fubmission bow'd,
Rends all alike; the penitent, and proud :
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